The way my mother shrank into herself made me want to take back my words.
The look of pain on her face—that was a big part of why I left. I couldn’t stay mad at her when she looked at me like that.
Like this hurt her more than it hurt me.
That me finding out my parents who raised me my entire fucking life weren’t my birth parents was harder on her than me.
My father lurched forward, pushing my mother behind him with an arm across her chest. “Don’t you dare speak like that.”
I mustered up every ounce of hurt and resentment I’d been holding onto for the last three years. “It’s not like it’s not the truth.”
“This is not the time or place.” My grandmother sighed from behind.
“Then when?” my father argued, not taking his gaze from me. “Nico disappeared for three years, if we’re going to have it out, why not now? We don’t know when he’ll up and leave again. When he’ll come back next.”
“You speak like it’s my fault I left.”
“No one forced you to leave.” My older brother decided then to make his presence known.
I met his soft blue eyes, I should have figured it out along time ago, that we were not actually siblings. Our eyes both might be blue, but not nearly the same.
“Stay fucking out of this, Stellan. This doesn’t concern you.”
“Yes, it does!” He pushed past my parents. “My brother up and fucking left without a word.My brother.” He pushed a finger into my chest. “Meanwhile, I’ve been left to pick up the pieces of your disappearance. They’ve been a fucking mess since you left. Sick over you.” I looked over Stellan’s shoulder at my parents, my father had tucked my mother under his arm as she looked at her feet.
“Why do you think I left?” My hands shook as I tried to keep my emotions locked down. “My entire fucking life has been a lie! And you all expected me to be okay with that? Every time I look at you, I’m reminded I never got the opportunity to know my real parents. To even grieve them because I didn’t know they were dead! I needed space away.”
Stellan’s face softened, but he didn’t stand down. “And in case you forgot, you’re not actually my brother.”
Stellan’s fist connected with my jaw before I could move a step. I spat blood on the ground at our feet.
“Fucking bastard.” I shoved him, while he was distracted trying to right himself, I kicked his feet out from under him, tackling him to the ground. I landed two punches to his face before he rolled us. I thrashed underneath him, squirming as his fist skimmed my jaw.
My mother was screaming, but I drowned it out as I tried to push Stellan off me. He raised his fist again, just as my father’s voice rang out over the forest.
“ENOUGH!”
His tone had us both freezing, we both knew better than to go against our father’s orders. Had been trained our entire lives to fall into line at his command.
Stellan rolled off me, laying on the ground next to meon his back. We both heaved, saying nothing as our breaths evened out.
“I’m sorry I punched you,” Stellan said finally. He rose to his feet, offering me his hand. I hesitated for a moment before taking it.
“When you said I wasn’t your brother—” Stellan looked up and met my gaze. “Don’t you fucking do that shit, Nico.” There was a pleading tone to his voice. “No matter who birthed you, I’m still your brother.” He held my hand and brought it to his chest. “We are always brothers, blood or not.”
“I can’t deal with any of this now.” I looked at the ground as I ripped my hand out of his hold. This is exactly why I stayed away. “I’m here on important business, not for a family reunion.” I gestured to Luce. “This is Luciana Ambrose, the heir to the Mystic Court throne. We are here on business from the High Queen and King.”
My father nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Let us get things settled quickly, and we can talk. Meet in our den in twenty minutes.”
“No, we’ll meet in the morning instead. The rest of our party will be here in the morning. I’m going to get a couple more hours of sleep before they arrive, we can meet then.”
Before he could say anything more to me, I took Luce’s hand in mine, pulling her back toward my den.
I needed fucking space before we sat down for a conversation.
Or I wouldn’t be able to have a conversation with them.
40
